


Potion Problems

by Measured



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 07:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Marian's potions goes awry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Potion Problems

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miss_Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Prince/gifts).



Marian knew this potion was going to be exceptional. Maybe it'd even be _the_ potion that finally made the mythical panacea she'd been searching for all along. For one, it hadn't exploded in her face, burned through the pot or smelled like a mix of death and rotting tomatoes like the last three attempts had. 

That, and of course, the special new ingredients. Her grandmother had apparently tried to hide a fascinating new plant behind a whole crate of tomatoes, three wards, a wild wolf and a sign saying _beware of the dragon_ , but she'd found it. An earth crystal she'd sent Micah out for, and a single stand of her hair along with a mix of herbs completed the concoction.

The mixture had bubbled up a pink color, like cherry blossoms, and smelling just as sweet. Marian stirred it with a smug sort of accomplishment. She looked up when the door opened, and left her perfect brew to see who had come. Her face lit up when she saw her very favorite patient to play doctor with.

"Coleetteee!" She called, a lilt in her voice. "I maaade you something!"

"I don't want any," Colette said with a frown. "The last potion gave me a horrible stomachache!"

"But just _smell_ it. Doesn't it seem delicious? I'm sure this one won't give you a stomachache this time...and if it does, then I'll just give you another one to make it all better!"

Colette sniffed the air, and her countenance instantly changed. She licked her lips, a dazed look of hunger in her eyes.

"That smells so good, I'll definitely want seconds!"

"You can have seconds and thirds and fourths," Marian said, grinning widely.

Marian poured out the brew in a soup bowl. 

"Yummy! I'll take seconds of that," Colette said.

Marian was only too happy to oblige, spooning out yet another of the sweet potion. The fragrance rose up, calming and pleasant, like a spring day. Pink drops spilled down her chin to scatter across her apron. Marian had to just sit back in pride. Not even Sherman could eat like Colette; she was the undefeated champion of every eating contest in Sharance.

Colette let out a cute little burp, followed by a more undignified (but still cute) burp and patted her stomach.

"Are you getting ready for the next Vegetable festival?" Marian said. "I taught my cucumber to roll over and shake hands already."

"Your cucumber is bound to win, even though Micah's have been really stiff competition the last few times. The judges just can't turn down the tap dancing routine you're teaching it," Colette said.

"Tap dancing...dancing—that reminds me, I have to go buy supplies for Dad and Rusk for the evening meals. Sherman is coming in later today, and he'll be really sad if we're out of stock again," Colette said.

"Don't eat them on the way back, or you'll get grounded for sure. Then no dessert for you," Marian said with a giggle. "I'll be happy to brew you up a nice dessert potion, though..." Marian said.

Colette stretched. "Just a little snack won't hurt. Dad won't even notice."

Of course, what Colette considered little and what anyone else considered little were two very different things.

"Bye, Marian. See you tomorrow," Colette called as she ran out the door. Marian raised her hand to return the wave, but Colette had already gone too far to see.

She returned to her couldron to clean up before her grandma came back. There was just enough for one cup of tea. She ladled it out carefully, as not to spill a single pink droplet. The door opened again. She beamed out at the lucky victim of her latest brew. Because of course, two patients was better than one, even if they had to come get medicine to cure her medicine.

"Congratulations, you're our special winner today of one free cup of tea!"

*

She didn't see Colette the next day, a cloudy and rainy day which put a damper on her spirits. In fact, she didn't even hear from her the next day. She'd begun to mope by then, too busy with work to take a break, as her grandma would scold her if she left the shop unattended.

By the third day, she had a visitor. Rusk stepped in, carrying something under his arm.

"Oh, Rusk—you wanna shot?"

"Would you like some tomato sandwiches?" Rusk said. "I made them myself, with extra tomatoes."

Marian grimaced and stepped back.

"Speaking of which, Dad sent me with these," he said.

He held a crate of tomato dishes. More crates of tomatoes came out of his bag. She was nearly gagging on the smell, so acidic and disgusting. These sorts of 'gifts' tended to show up at her door whenever Colette had been affected by a potion.

"How's Colette?" Marian said.

"She's already gone through the entire stock and it's only noon," Rusk said with a sigh. "Yesterday she couldn't even get out of bed, saying her back was hurting."

Oh, it sounded like a monthly issue. She'd whip up a nice and sweet chocolate potion for Colette right away.

*

Since she was the one who'd gotten Colette into this _intriguing situation_ it was only right that she get her out of it. She felt a mix of disappointment that the potion she was so sure would be her fated panacea had turned out to be another failure, but there was also the new thrill of finding yet another medicine to cure her. And if that didn't work, she could find yet another medicine, and another medicine. Colette had a stomach of steel, which was part talent and part Marian's training.

But increasing her hunger, she hadn't foreseen that. What if she'd accidentally given Colette a wasting potion? She felt just a second of panic of a world without Colette in it. Colette had been her friend for as long as she could remember. They'd played doctor (and she'd sent Colette to actual doctors) back when things like boys and marriage were just some far distant star they would follow some day.

But Marian never let things get her down for long. She would combine medicine and science, and make the panacea. There was no _if_ when it came to healing Colette. Only _when_.

Pushing her broom high, she swore she'd never let Colette fall. She would break the very bonds of magic and science if she had to, if that's what it meant to save Colette from a horrible fate she'd probably caused.

Then she swore because she'd broken off a piece of the ceiling. Little flakes of white plaster rained down on her hair. 

She'd just tell grandma that she messed up a snowing spell.

*

Marian went out on a hunt. Not even duties to the shop could hold up in the face of the chance of curing Colette. Of course, she got her an assistant right away. Micah was just so easy to convince to help her out. A shot certainly helped him along.

The nice thing about drugged helpers was that they never complained. Micah happily carried all the things she needed, and staved off all the monsters to boot. Even as the day turned dark, he happily did her bidding.

Mind control was a girl's best friend.

*

When she came home, Marian poured all the ingredients into the pot. She stirred it, whispering a little magic as she did. It would be the best medicine the world had seen. Or at least, she was fairly certain it wouldn't explode in Colette's stomach this time. Even as dawn passed, she kept stirring.

Her eyes half closed, in her sleepless haze she could just see the little moments that made up them. Colette putting on her nurse's uniform, and swearing to always be with her when Marian became a famous doctor and witch with her panacea, moments under the starlight when no one else was there for the romantic holidays, so they spent those cold starry nights together, grasping their hands for warmth and sharing dreams.

Days when Colette didn't come and visit just weren't the same, like the sun hadn't come out and it was all gay.

A voice woke her from the reverie of her sleepiness.

"That's enough, now, Marian."

"I want her to be okay," Marian said. She sniffed and rubbed at her nose.

"Remember what I taught you: magic is dangerous when you don't get enough sleep. You can't push yourself to the point where you can't take care of other people out of worry."

Marian hopped down from the stool, her knees aching as she did. 

"Thanks, grandma."

She bent over to give her grandma a hug, feeling woozy enough that she might fall asleep right there before stumbling out towards bed. She began to feel the sleepiness overcome her mere minutes after she'd pulled the covers over her. Colette was the last image, the last word and feeling and thought before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

*

When Marian woke up, it was past noon and she was still tired. She hurriedly washed up and got dressed, splashing her face with cold water to get the sleep out of her eyes.

When she came downstairs, she could smell the potion she'd worked on last night still brewing, and catch the sounds of people talking. She came closer to see Rusk waiting on the edge, while Colette laid on the cot with her hands clasped over her stomach.

"Hmmm. You said that she felt sick this morning?" Majorie said.

"She couldn't even eat a thing, and that's saying something," Rusk said.

Marjorie rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Marian stepped in, and her grandma nodded to her.

"Good morning, Marian."

"Good morning, grandma."

She peered down to look at Colette. Was she pale? Not feverish. Hmmm.

"Is she okay? The potion I gave her was days ago, and she should've recovered by now,"

"You gave her a potion?" Marjorie said.

"Yes, I brewed up a _special_ potion. I had some really good ingredients, too—"

Grandma let out a long sigh. "Marian, you didn't get into my secret stash, did you?"

"...That wouldn't be the one behind the walls of tomatoes, the wolf and the sign _beware of dragon,_ would it?" Marian said.

Marjorie groaned. " _Marian_."

"Ooh, did I accidentally give her a love potion? I've never made one of _those_ before," Marian said.

"Love potions are still forbidden for you to make," Marjorie said, crossing her arms.

"Awwww," Marian said.

"I know the cause of your sister's ailment. She'll be fine in about nine months," Marjorie said.

"Awww, _months?!_ " Colette said.

"You see, Colette is...." Marjorie smiled and let out a little laugh at this. "...pregnant."

Rusk gaped, unable to speak. Marian dropped the broom she'd been carrying.

"But, I....we...." She turned bright red. "I didn't even kiss her, even though I wanted to—"

"That potion is very dangerous. I'd intended to use it to help breed some Buffamoo for Micah. He's working on a captive breeding program to tame them entirely. It's quite fascinating—"

"That doesn't explain how my sister got—" Rusk stopped short of the word.

"Pregnant?" Marjorie said. She chuckled. "Magic works in mysterious ways."

Even though she was still reeling, Marian felt this calm come over her. Colette wasn't going to die. She was just going to have a baby. _Her_ baby, no less.

She wanted to jump up. This was a major breakthrough towards her panacea! She'd gotten Colette pregnant!

"It's settled. I'll do the honorable thing and marry her myself! Then we'll raise the baby together!" Marian said.

The scientific possibilities were staggering. Just to think of what talents a baby born by magic might have...

Colette pushed herself up to a sitting position and frowned. "I don't want you to do this out of pity or responsibility," Colette said. She sniffed and rubbed at her cheeks. "I'll just—" 

"Don't be silly, It's not like that at all," Marian said.

She knelt beside the cot and took Colette's hand in hers.

"You're my best friend, Colette. I don't know what I'd do without you, and I don't want to know. All this time people were talking about when we'd get married to other people, when we'd grow up and have families and...I don't want this to end! I don't want to get another guinea pig, I don't want to have to spend cold starry nights out with somebody else."

"I'm really glad, you know? I was a little worried when Micah came that you'd crush on him and forget about me," Colette said.

"Are you kidding? I could never forget about you, not even for a moment. Oh, Colette, we're going to have such fun! I'll administer all the pre-natal care, and give you lots and lots and lots of shots!"

Colette stuck her tongue out. "No drugging me while I'm carrying y-your baby!" She blushed, and Marian felt a surge of happiness in her, tingling like raw unleashed magic. A sudden thought interrupted the glow of the news.

"Come to think of it, I made a batch big enough for two, and then gave some tea to Micah," she said. 

Rusk coughed. "You better start gathering skulls to put around the shop to keep Raven away before she finds out you knocked up her boyfriend."

Marian laughed. She was too excited of the possibility of both a male and female magic pregnancies to worry about Raven's wrath.


End file.
